Mormon Temple Sealings

by Paul V. Hyer

Washington D.C. Temple

A "sealing," as a generic term, means the securing,
determining, or establishment of a bond of legitimacy. Among
members of the LDS Church, sealing refers to the marriage of a husband
and wife and to the joining together of children and parents in
relationships that are to endure forever. This special type of
sealing of husband and wife in marriage is referred to as "eternal marriage"
or "celestial marriage." It contrasts with civil and
church marriages, which are ceremonies recognized only by earthly
authority and are only for the duration of mortal life.

The sealing together of husband, wife, and children in eternal
family units is the culminating ordinance of the priesthood, to
which all others are preparatory. It must be performed by one
holding the sealing power and today in an LDS temple dedicated to
God. The Savior referred to this sealing power when he gave his
apostle Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven, saying that
"whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in
heaven" (Matt. 16:19). In modern times this sealing
authority was restored to the earth in the Kirtland Temple on
April 3, 1836, by the prophet Elijah, who was the ancient
custodian of this power (D&C 110:13-16).

Both ancient and modern prophets have observed that if
families are not sealed together in eternal unitsif the
hearts of the children and the fathers are not turned to each
other (as alluded to in Malachi 4:5-6)then the ultimate
work and glory of God are not attained and the highest purposes
of the creation of the earth are not achieved. "For we
without them [ancestors or progenitors] cannot be made perfect;
neither can they without us be made perfect" (D&C
128:16-18).

To Latter-day Saints, the spirit world is as real as this
world. By divine mandate, temple sealings are not only available
to living persons, but are extended also to the deceased
progenitors of a family through proxy ordinances performed in the
temples. This process is known as salvation of the dead. Children
born to parents who have been sealed in the temple are born in
the covenant and thus are bonded to their parents for eternity
without a separate ordinance of sealing.

To receive temple sealing ordinances, Church members must
receive a temple recommend from a proper Church authority
attesting that they are living prescribed Church standards. They
then visit a temple and receive initiatory ordinances and the
blessing referred to as the temple Endowment.
This entails the receipt of instruction and being put under
covenant to obey eternal laws set forth by God, which, as
observed, will ensure a superior standard of morality, marriage,
and family life. The sealing ordinances can then be administered,
the full benefit of which can be secured only by continued
obedience to the divine laws set forth in the gospel of Jesus
Christ.

A sealing ceremony is an inspiring and solemn ordinance
performed in specially designated and dedicated rooms of a
temple. The couple to be married or the family to be sealed kneel
at an altar. The officiator is one who has received the sealing
power under the highest priesthood authority in the Church (see
Prophet, Seer, and Revelator; Sealing
Power; Cancellation
of Sealings).

For members of the Church, sealings endow life with greater
purpose and give marriage a sense of divine partnership with
spiritual safeguards. Bringing children into the world becomes a
divinely inspired stewardship. Sealings can sustain a family in
life and console them in death. They establish continuity in
life, here and hereafter.